This invention relates to a terminal device, such as a small-size word processor, a firm banking terminal and a small-size personal computer, which contains a printer unit using a paper roll, and which is not provided with a support shaft for supporting the paper roll thereon, and instead in which the paper roll is set in a so-called throw-in manner.
Recently, terminal devices have been of a small size, and have had advanced functions, and those terminal devices containing a printer unit therein have become the standard type. In those of such terminal devices using a paper roll, whether or not the paper can be easily inserted is an important factor in the operability; however, this has not been much considered so far. Further, because of a demand for a low-cost design, the type of terminal devices in which the paper roll is set in a throw-in manner without the use of a support shaft for supporting the paper roll have now been increasingly used.
One such a conventional terminal device will now be described with reference to the drawings.
FIGS. 3 to 5 show a conventional terminal device of the type in which a paper roll is set in a throw-in manner. More specifically, FIG. 3 is a perspective view, showing a paper roll cover in its open condition, FIG. 4 is a side-elevational view of an important portion of the terminal device, showing the paper roll cover in its closed condition, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an important portion of the terminal device, showing the paper roll in a set condition.
In FIGS. 3 to 5, a printer unit 52 is accommodated in a rear portion of a terminal device body 51. A paper insertion slot 53 for supplying paper P to the printer unit 52 from the paper roll is formed through a rear end wall of the body 51, and a paper discharge slot 54 for discharging the paper P, passed through the printer unit 52, is formed through an upper wall of the body 51 adjacent to the rear end thereof. A paper roll receptacle portion 55 is formed integrally on the rear end surface of the body 51, and comprises a bottom plate 56, an arcuate rear plate 57 extending rearwardly from the bottom plate 56, and opposite side plates 58 and 59, the paper roll receptacle portion 55 having an open top. The paper roll cover 60 comprises a top plate 61, a rear plate 62 extending rearwardly from the top plate 61, and opposite side plates 63 and 64, the bottom and the front of the paper roll cover 60 being open. The open bottom portion of the paper roll cover 60 fits on the open top portion of the paper roll receptacle portion 55, and the paper roll cover 60 is pivotally supported on the paper roll receptacle portion 55 by a pair of pivot pins 65. One of the pivot pins 65 is provided at central portions of the side plates 58 and 63, whereas the other pivot pin 65 is provided at central portions of the side plates 59 and 64. By pivotally moving the paper roll cover 60 about the pivot pins 65, the top of the paper roll receptacle portion 55 can be opened (see FIGS. 3 and 5), and by pivotally moving the paper roll cover 60 about the pivot pints 65 in the reverse direction, the top of the paper roll receptacle portion 55 can be closed (see FIG. 4).
The operation of the above terminal device will now be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 3, the paper roll cover 60 is pivotally moved about the pivot pins 65 to open the top of the paper roll receptacle portion 55. Then, the roll of paper P is held by one hand, and the leading end portion of the paper P is held by the fingers of the other hand, and in this condition the paper P is slightly fed and inserted into the paper insertion slot 53. Alternatively, the roll of paper P is placed on a suitable place lying rearwardly of the body 51, and then the leading end portion of the paper P is held by both hands, and is inserted into the paper insertion slot 53. Subsequently, the paper P is fed by a paper feed mechanism to pass through the printer unit 52, so that the leading end portion of the paper P is extended from the paper discharge slot 54. Thereafter, a slack of the paper P is eliminated, and the paper roll is received in the paper roll receptacle portion 55, as shown in FIG. 5, and then the paper roll cover 60 is pivotally moved about the pivot pins 65 to close the top of the paper roll receptacle portion 55 as shown in FIG. 4, thus completing the setting or loading of the paper roll.
In the above conventional terminal device, however, the leading end portion of the paper P is held by the fingers of one hand, and inserted into the paper insertion slot 53 while the paper roll is held by the other hand, and therefore it is difficult to insert the paper P straight into the paper insertion slot 53, and the paper P is often inserted obliquely into this slot 53, which may result in the jamming of the paper. And besides, as is clear from FIG. 4, to ensure that when the paper roll cover 60 is pivotally moved into the open position, the paper roll cover 60 can be disposed adjacent to the underside of the paper roll receptacle portion 55, each pivot pin 65 is disposed inwardly from the rear end surface by a distance equal to a radius R1 of the arcuate surface of the paper roll cover 60 or a radius R2 of the arcuate surface of the paper roll receptacle portion 55. As a result, as is clear from FIG. 5, in the open position of the paper roll cover 60, the distance between the paper insertion slot 53 and the paper roll cover 60 is relatively small, and is approximately equal to the diameter of the paper roll. Therefore, when the paper roll is held by one hand for inserting the paper P, the operator needs to feed a sufficient length of paper P from the paper roll, depending on his own judgment, so that the paper P can be inserted into the paper insertion slot 53. In this case, the projecting of the leading end of the paper P from the paper discharge slot 54 is confirmed, and then it is necessary to rewind the paper P to remove a slack of the fed paper when the paper roll is to be received in the paper roll receptacle portion 55. Further, when the paper P is fed from the paper roll, is placed on a suitable place lying rearwardly of the terminal device, and is to be inserted into the paper insertion slot 53, it is necessary to position the paper P with respect to the paper insertion slot 53 in its widthwise direction. And besides, when the paper P is pulled so as to insert the paper into the insertion slot 53, the paper roll P rollingly moves, in which case the paper roll must be rewound.